


In Sickness

by danceswithgary



Category: Smallville
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-10
Updated: 2009-04-10
Packaged: 2017-10-03 20:53:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lex needs a little reminder along with the antibiotics and the chicken soup.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Sickness

"Lex?" The voice on the far side of the locked door had more than a tinge of worry threaded through it, as well as an impatient edge when there was no immediate response. "Hey, you okay in there?"

Leaning against the vanity to peer at his sickly countenance with bleary, dark-circled eyes, Lex sighed wearily and called back, "I'll be right out, Clark." His raspy voice caught at the end and he bent over the sink in a chest-deep coughing jag, his head pounding with each rattling whoop, each spasm leaving him progressively breathless. It was a struggle not to let himself slip to his hands and knees, to spurn the cool tile floor promising all-too-temporary relief from the fever that was blazing through him.

"That's it. I'm coming in." That was all the warning Lex had before the screech of metal tearing free from wood announced Clark's forced entrance into his refuge. The large hands that took over the chore of supporting Lex's body held a hint of the chill night air for a brief moment, welcome for as long as it lasted. "Geez, you're burning up!"

The layer of ache deepened under the weight of Clark's hands, and Lex twisted irritably in his grip, protesting between coughs, "I can't believe you broke down the door to my bathroom! And ow!"

"Last time I checked, it was _my_ bathroom too. And since when do you lock me out?" The hacking complaints did nothing to prevent Clark from sweeping Lex off his feet and up into his brawny arms for the trip back into the bedroom. Closing his eyes against a sudden attack of vertigo, Lex rested his forehead along the curve of Clark's neck in between coughs and listened to the other man's grumbling as he settled them both on the edge of the bed. "You weren't this bad when I left this morning. Why didn't you call me?"

Holding Lex steady on his lap with one arm, Clark reached to the nightstand for the half-full glass of water that Lex had placed there earlier. He held it steady as Lex sipped, rubbing Lex's back lightly until the coughing finally settled. Setting the empty glass back down, Clark nudged Lex's head down to his shoulder and continued to stroke along aching muscles with his fingertips, his voice gentler as he asked, "What's going on, Lex? Why didn't you at least call the doctor?"

Afraid to talk and start the painful cycle again, Lex just shrugged and buried his face under Clark's jaw, feeling a little like a six-year-old needing comfort after being scolded about jumping through puddles. A chill swept through him and he pressed deeper into the warm haven of Clark's arms as the discomfort of his sweat-dampened pajamas began to penetrate.

Clark's arms tightened for a moment before he sighed. "All right, let's get you changed into something dry and back into bed before you get worse. Just don't get the idea you're off the hook, Lex. We're going to talk about this." It only took a few whirlwind moments before Lex was stripped and re-clothed in his favorite flannels, and then tucked under the covers. Clark zipped away and returned with a warm washcloth that felt marvelous as he gently bathed the sticky sweat from Lex's face, scalp and neck. Lex moaned his appreciation as he let his eyes flutter closed and the last thing he heard was a rueful-sounding chuckle and a whispered, "Cute's only going to go just so far, you stubborn man."

 

"Cut it out, Clark. I hate when you do that." Sitting up in bed with a half-dozen pillows behind his back, Lex scowled and folded his arms...as if those actions had any chance of defeating a certain person's powers. "It's a violation of my right to privacy when you scan me."

Clark sighed and set the tray holding a mug of soup and glass of juice on the nightstand in Lex's reach before perching on the edge of the bed next to him. His large hand cradled Lex's skull in a gentle caress as he frowned back. "Yeah, well you kind of gave up that right when you decided to ignore a bad cold and let it turn into pneumonia. _You're_ not Superman, you know." He pulled away slowly and, picking up one of several prescription bottles, he twisted it open and shook a tablet out into Lex's reluctantly outstretched palm, followed by gel capsule from another. "All you had to do was call the doctor...." The juice was handed over, and Clark watched as Lex swallowed the antibiotic and cough suppressant with a gulp, nodding in satisfaction as the glass was emptied without leaving Lex gasping for breath.

Glass swapped for mug, Lex sipped at the chicken broth before shrugging and muttering, "Didn't have to. You took care of that, didn't you?" He winced at the flash of hurt in Clark's eyes, but refused to say anything to soothe it away, taking refuge behind the china mug as the pulsing ache behind his own eyes beat out the same message he'd been hearing for days, 'weak, weak, weak.'

Clark rose to his feet and shuffled away from the bed to the window. He stood there, a dark silhouette against the sunlight, looking out over the busy city with hands thrust into pockets and shoulders slumped. "I've been trying to cut you some slack because you feel like crap," he murmured, pain etching the edges of his low voice. "The thing is...it's like there's something else going on that you're not telling me, Lex. I just...I just want to take care of you, make sure you're okay."

The quiet ache in Clark's voice tugged Lex out of the bed and across the carpet, the dregs of the mug spilling across rumpled blankets in Lex's hurry to reach him. The room spun for a moment and a gasp triggered a cough that lead to another and another and then he was back in Clark's arms, struggling to catch his elusive breath as pain sliced along his sternum and ribs. They ended up on the floor next to the bed, Lex leaning back against Clark's chest and gripping Clark's arms tight enough to leave bruises on a human. Slowly the paroxysms became less frequent, even as Lex waved away the inhaler Clark held at the ready for him. "No...don't...need...it."

"Lex, the doctor said...." Clark insisted, a baffled tone in his voice.

Shaking his head violently, Lex grabbed the inhaler and threw it across the room. "No! I'm...not...weak!" He felt the muscles under his back tense at his outburst, and he drooped in exhaustion and defeat. Closing his eyes, he dropped his head back against Clark's shoulder and rasped, "Sorry. Not your fault. Sorry."

Slowly the tension behind him bled away as they both sat quietly, waiting for Lex's breathing to slow to normal. Finally, Clark spoke, his words soft and measured. "You know I love you, don't you?" He accepted a simple nod from Lex, forestalling a verbal reply with a soft stroke of a finger across Lex's lips. "Good. Then you also know that I've never considered you weak. _Never._" Lex's careless shrug elicited a disappointed sigh before Clark tried again. "God, I really hate your father sometimes, Lex. How he could treat his own son that way...." Soft breaths tickled the side of Lex's face as Clark whispered, "For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. Remember?"

Turning his face into Clark, Lex scrubbed his burning cheek across soft cotton as he nodded again and rasped a hoarse reply, "To love and to cherish..." He fumbled for Clark's left hand with his, clinking his platinum band against the matching ring that always went back onto Clark's finger the second the blue suit came off. "...give my hand and my heart." He choked on the last few words and Clark offered him one of several water bottles stashed by the bed, holding it for him when Lex refused to let go of his hand. Thankfully, another coughing fit was avoided and the two men settled back to sit quietly, their breathing soft and even.

After a few minutes had passed, Clark chuckled, the buzz of his laughter tickling under Lex's ear and making Lex smile. He felt a kiss on the crown of his head, and Clark's words were muffled against his skin as he promised, "As soon as you can handle some heavy breathing without coughing, you'll go right back to being the strong man around here. After all, just one kiss from you and I'm weak in the knees. Anything more...and I'm guaranteed to be down for the count."

Lex's muscles were slackening as his eyes drifted closed, but he still managed to make one last observation. "Up first...then down."

Warmth wrapped around Lex along with Clark's amused murmur of agreement. "Whatever you say, Lex. You're the boss."


End file.
